Show Me a Hero
by LovelyInspiration
Summary: ...I'll write you a tragedy. (AU ending to "The Attack")


**Hello everyone. It's been quite awhile since I uploaded my first EF story, hasn't it? It's also been awhile since the finale, and I've yet to post my perspective on how it could've ended. Well, I finally am. This one-shot is an AU ending to the episode "The Attack." Thus, you can expect some OOC-ness from the characters; that's pretty common with AUs. I haven't been in the best mood lately, so I channeled that into this story. I'll tell you right now, it isn't very happy or optimistic. However, I doubt anything is this story warrants a trigger warning. I did rate it only K-plus, after all.**

 **My companion song recommendation is _Marchin' On_ by OneRepublic. It's totally clean (in case you're not familiar with the song), and I believe it captures many of the emotions in this story. With that final comment, I hope you enjoy the story! **

**I do not own Lab Rats: Elite Force.**

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Bree used to love running – especially in Centium City. She loved feeling the power as her boot-clad feet collided with the pavement, propelling her forward. She loved watching the world pass by in a blur as she soared through the city. Buildings and trees and people all appeared as one huge, beautiful mesh of color. It was as if thousands of events were playing out in front of her, all at once.

She loved feeling the wind whip against her face. The fierce breeze helped keep her cool as she ran at speeds up to Mach 2 – which, as anyone could imagine, was a very sweaty exercise. She loved all the smells that swarmed into her nose when she bypassed bakeries and gardens. She loved how sound just disappeared when she ran. There was no commotion, no stomping, no explosions. Just… stillness. It made her feel so peaceful.

However, the thing that Bree cherished most about running was the sensation it gave her. The lack of sound, the blurred vision, the power she felt – it all combined to make her feel as if she were connected to the elements themselves. No one heard her; no one saw her. It was like she didn't exist. When she was running, she was a part of something bigger. She was merged with the wind, the sky, the ground. She was a small amount of matter in a universe full of extraordinary things. _Energy._ All she felt – all she was – was energy.

At least, that's how running _used_ to make her feel.

Centium City was different now. Instead of a wonderful array of colors, she saw slight variations of black and grey. Instead of a blissful quiet, memories of police and fire truck sirens plagued her. Instead the aroma of banana bread and dandelions, her nose was assailed with the pungent odor of burnt rubber and gasoline. This was the Centium City that she was speeding through right now, and it could hardly be called her home anymore.

Bree was pulled out of her morose thoughts when she turned a street corner and saw bright orange light. _Another fire._ The flames dancing in the distance were a stark contrast to the scorched and crumbling buildings. On the plus side, the fire brightened up the street – not in the figurative sense, but in the literal sense. After 10 days, it was probably safe to say that no one had plans to reinstall power. Bree found it hard to navigate the city in darkness – so much so that she'd been tempted to keep the fires lit. However, they posed a threat to what remained of the city and who remained of the citizens. She had to consider the greater good.

Bree sped over to the fire and commenced to running a circle around it. In a matter of seconds, the flames dissipated. Ash and black smoke were left in its wake. The bionic/super-powered girl then dashed away without a second glance. There was no spare time to prove what she already knew. The fire was out, and she had other business to attend to. Bree repeated the previous process three more times before deciding that she had finally covered the whole city.

With her task complete, Bree sped off toward downtown. Even after a week and a half, it was so odd to super-speed through empty streets. The brunette had become quite accustomed to bobbing and weaving between traffic. On route to her destination, she crossed paths with one infamous tower. Bree glanced its way as she passed, heart heavy and eyes glassy. The building blended in with the grim and dull appearance of the city – shattered windows, rusty metal, cracked walls. It was devoid of any indication of its former glory. To her, however, it held striking significance.

" _AHH!"_ The scream reverberated inside her head, still as fresh and heart-wrenching as the day she heard it.

Bree turned away, shaking her head. Now was not the time to break down; that could be done when all of this was over. She continued on at full speed until she reached the downtown area. Making a right on 3rd street, Bree saw an unmistakable blue suit amidst the rubble. She stopped a few feet away from her teammate. He was clearing away chucks of asphalt from the sidewalk.

"How's it going?" Bree asked, not bothering with a greeting.

Oliver turned to her, chest heaving from overexertion. He managed to puff out between breaths: "Pretty bad, I'd say."

Bree wasn't sure if that was meant as pessimism or a joke. She chose not to address it either way. "I meant specifically with your clean-up work."

"Oh." Oliver wiped sweat off his forehead and glanced back at the pavement. "Well, I was able to fix a couple roads and repair some storefronts. Then, I just started clearing walkways."

"Have you encountered any civilians?"

The superhero shook his head. "None. A lot of 'em cleared out after the mayor's warning last week. Between that and the people we've already rescued, the city is pretty much deserted. Except for, you know, cops and such."

Bree nodded, resting her hands on her hips. "That's one less thing to worry about, I guess."

Oliver nodded in agreement. "Yeah. So, how about you? Did you put out all the fires?"

"I did – for now, anyway. You know more are bound to pop up soon."

"Well, we may not be able to make things better yet, but we can still stop them from getting worse."

"That is the idea." Bree took a few steps forward while she surveyed the surrounding area. "Feel up to doing a little more work before we head back? I think that overturned produce truck is still there on Central."

Oliver was about to respond when his ears picked up a familiar whirring sound. _They're here._ His parted lips froze, as well as the rest of his body. One glance over at Bree told him that she had heard the noise, too. Oliver squinted in concentration, trying to discern the distance and location of the sound. It was impossible.

He and Bree looked to each other, and both knew that they were thinking the same thing. Oliver was the one to vocalize the realization: "I think we have company."

The two Elite Force members barely had time to assume fighting poses before a duo of black swarms flew in. Where they came from, the teens never knew. It seemed as if the shapeshifters were everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

Bree and Oliver shared one last knowing look before springing into battle. Oliver blasted up into the air to fight his opponent on an equal level. Bree didn't have the same luxury, but she could defeat the other swarm just as efficiently. The swarm lunged at her, but she super-somersaulted out of the way. Once back on her feet, she wasted no time in creating a proton ring and throwing it at the swarm. It made perfect contact, and the black swarm stumbled back. Bree then sped to the other side of her opponent. Using its temporary imbalance to her advantage, the brunette harnessed energy for a thermo-nuclear body blast and let it out with a grunt of effort.

The swarm, however, had recovered faster than expected. It dodged the attack, catching Bree off guard. The swarm then rushed in to fly circles around her. The bionic girl yelped in surprise as she was sucked into the swarm's centripetal force. _Not again! Why again?_ She felt the air pressure growing heavier, pressing in on her body. Bree tried to move, tried to escape, but the swarm kept moving in closer and closer. Just like last time, she knew the weight would crush her if she didn't figure something out.

As her arms were forced against her sides, Bree was struck with an idea. She activated her flashlight hands, and the twilight street fight became illuminated. This clearly startled the swarm, and it commenced to spinning even faster. Bree couldn't help but let out a shriek of pain. Her soft brown curls slammed into her face, but she pushed them back with a jolt of her head. If she was going to do this, she needed to do it fast.

 _Fast is my specialty._

The brunette closed her eyes and focused all her attention on bringing her hands together. The wind resistance, well, _resisted_ , but she fought back twice as hard. After several seconds and a whole lot of effort, her hands finally joined. Bree felt the electricity beginning to build – to spark – around her fingers. It was exhilarating. Empowering. With each new volt that was produced, she was given an extra boost of vigor. _Adrenaline._ She let the energy build until it was at full capacity, and then she threw her hands forward.

The swarm abruptly stopped spinning. Bree watched the electricity mingle within the black matter, crackling and popping. The swarm finally materialized, and two female shapeshifters dropped to the ground. As her power deactivated, Bree, too, fell backwards onto the asphalt. She lay there panting for what felt like hours. A mere 30 seconds later, however, Oliver landed ungracefully by her side.

"You okay?" he asked, gazing down at his teammate.

Bree looked up into his concerned eyes. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm good. You?"

"Fine," Oliver replied, helping his friend off the ground. He gestured to a frozen heap of black several feet away. "It didn't go down easily, but the cryoblast worked in the end."

Bree nodded. She glanced down at her opponents to find them unmoving. _Unconscious_ – hopefully. They never did stay down long. Looking back up at Oliver, she said, "We better get going. The swarms always travel in groups, and it won't be long until more show up."

Oliver noted the reluctance in her voice, but he chose to ignore it. Neither of them liked running from fights, but they had more important people to return to. People they loved. People that needed them to continue surviving. They didn't stand a chance against the shapeshifters as a team of only two. If survival meant backing off occasionally, so be it. Family was a weakness, but it was the best kind.

The ice-powered boy nodded in agreement. "True. Let's get out of here."

He hooked arms with Bree before she sped them away from the scene. Oliver really missed flying around the city, but he had to give that up a couple weeks ago. It made him too detectable to the shapeshifters. However, there was something very exciting about super speed. He rather enjoyed being zoomed around the city. It certainly gave him a different perspective than soaring through the air.

In less than a minute, Bree and Oliver were at the edge of the city – more specifically, the industrial district. Most of the factories in the area had either been shut down, abandoned, or destroyed. It might've been depressing for the average person, but it was perfect for the teens. No one came to this part of town.

Bree headed in the direction of a lightbulb factory, except it wasn't a lightbulb factory at all. She ran into an adjacent alley and stopped in front of the side entrance. Oliver let go of her arm, and she approached the lead door. A rectangle-shaped part of the wall caved in, and it flipped around to reveal a keypad.

Bree turned back to Oliver, who was dusting off his suit. "Keep watch and make sure no one followed us."

The superhero nodded and silently obeyed. This had become a routine for them, so they didn't bother with unnecessary chatter. Bree and Oliver became extra close the past 10 days, and they developed a mutual acceptance of comfortable silence. After all, there wasn't much to make small talk about right now. Sometimes the teens appreciated – dare say _needed_ – the silence. Everything was so urgent and rushed and serious these days. It was nice to relish in a quiet moment once in a while.

Sounds of button-pushing emitted from behind Oliver, and he became curious about what Bree was doing. All this time, he'd never thought to ask. Oliver cleared his throat. "Hey, there's something I've been meaning to ask you."

"What's that?" Bree responded distractedly. Her eyebrows creased as she began typing out a long passcode.

"Why does Mr. Davenport have a place like this?"

"Mr. Davenport has safehouses all over the country – heck, all over the world."

"But why?"

Bree sighed. "In case he and our family needed to go into hiding. You never know when someone with a grudge against you might try to attack."

"Was it that likely that people would threaten him?"

The bionic scoffed. "His own brother did. I wouldn't put it past anyone else. That's just the life of a billionaire tech designer."

Oliver frowned. "That's a pretty rough life to live."

"Yeah, well, I guess it was fortunate for us. Otherwise, we wouldn't have had anywhere to go after the penthouse was attacked." Bree placed her hand on the screen of the keypad. A white beam appeared and ran up and down her hand. The light then turned green, and the screen flashed: _Handprint verified. Welcome, Bree Davenport._ Bree turned to Oliver and said, "Okay, we're good to go."

Both teens heard the _click_ as the door unlocked. Oliver ran up to hold the door open for his friend. Bree gave him the best smile she could muster and entered. Oliver walked in right behind her and made sure the door was sealed correctly. A long hallway greeted them, and they had a bit of walking to do before they reached the first room. The teens strolled down the hall side by side, both too spent to even attempt a jog. Bree was just grateful for the florescent lighting.

"Have you ever wondered what would've happened if we hadn't destroyed the superhero list?" Oliver asked suddenly.

Bree chuckled humorlessly. The question didn't even throw her off. "I've wondered about a lot of things, Oliver."

He looked over at her with curiosity. "Penny for your thoughts."

The bionic girl shook her head. "If only we hadn't destroyed the list, if only we had evacuated the tower quicker, if only _I_ had been more aware – it's an endless list. I question everything we did that day. Maybe just _one_ different choice would've led to a different outcome."

Oliver nodded slowly, knowingly. "I know how you feel, Bree. I've thought the same things. But, in the end, we still made the right decision, right?"

Bree sighed. "For the superheroes, yes. For the public, yes. For ourselves – for our family… not a chance."

"You think that makes us bad people?"

Bree wrapped her arm around Oliver's back. She felt his arm wrap around her shoulders in response. "We shouldn't harp on it. It's no help to anyone." It was supposed to be a comfort to Oliver, but Bree was really the one who needed to hear it.

Oliver just rubbed her arm comfortingly. After a moment of silence, he said, "We will defeat Roman and Riker, Bree. They'll get what they deserve."

"I hope you're right."

The two Elite Force members finally reached the first door in the hall. They came to a halt outside the room and broke their embrace. Bree looked at Oliver and gave him a reassuring grin. It didn't reach her eyes, but Oliver appreciated the effort. With a deep breath, he composed himself enough to open the door. The teens filed into the room, Oliver immediately gravitating to the other side.

The middle Davenport stood back for a second, wanting to give her teammate a little space. She watched Oliver approach the three capsules on the back wall. Only one of them was occupied – the middle one. The team chose to use that one without any real rhyme or reason. It didn't matter, anyway, seeing as how Chase couldn't-

Bree gulped, blinking back tears that had produced rather quickly. She needed to stop thinking about that. With a shake of her head, Bree brought her attention back to the present.

Oliver moved to the side, and that gave Bree a perfect view of the person inside the capsule: Skylar. The alien girl was sitting cross-legged on the floor of the capsule, her head hanging low. For a second, Bree was concerned, but Skylar's head lifted when she sensed the new presences in the room. Bree looked on sadly at the pale skin of her friend. Thick black lines, like veins, ran all across Skylar's face. The girl's hair was frizzy, and her eyes seemed much darker than normal. Skylar's lips were an off-white color, streaked with black. In addition, her thin body appeared to be shaking. Her condition hadn't improved at all since the last time Bree saw her.

None of that compared to the worst part – oh no, it didn't compare at all. How dearly Bree wished that unkempt hair or chills were the worst that her friend had to contend with. No, the worst part was the odd black smoke that emanated out of Skylar's skin and pores. Her entire appearance reminded Bree a lot of Skylar's reaction to coal when she got her powers back. The difference was that this time, it wasn't "part of the healing process." What was happening to Skylar now was anything _but_ healing.

Both she and Skylar could be thankful that the capsule contained and reduced her illness. Oliver hadn't been able to determine if the smoke was deadly, but none of them were willing to take the risk. Unfortunately, the constraint of Skylar's sickness came at a cost. To begin with, she was under an indefinite quarantine. In addition, the capsule was soundproof, so communication between Skylar and her friends was minimal. It hadn't been easy on any of them.

The team was determined to figure out whatever it was that Roman and Riker hit Skylar with. They were going to find a cure, no matter what.

Across the room, Oliver slowly crouched in front of the middle capsule. Skylar's eyes met his and lingered there for a long moment. No matter how bad she might've been feeling, the sight of Oliver always eased her pain. All the same, the former superhero doctor found comfort in Skylar's now almost-black irises. As distorted and changed as they were, Oliver would always recognize Skylar's eyes. They made him feel safe. They made him feel at home. Oliver wasn't sure how, and he wasn't sure when, but he was going to resolve this.

Gently, he placed his hands against the capsule, giving the girl on the other side a small smile. _How are you?_

Skylar grinned weakly, putting her hands over his on the glass. _Better now that you're back._ (Oh, how Oliver wished that his mere presence truly could fix things.)

Bree's heart broke as she watched the interaction. Deciding now to be a good time, she ventured away from the door. She came up next to Oliver and looked into the capsule, at the girl she saw as a sister. Skylar tore her eyes away from Oliver to meet Bree's gaze. The girls exchanged weak smiles. Bree reached down and gave Oliver's shoulder a squeeze, causing him to look up.

"If you don't mind, I'm gonna head over to the infirmary," she told him.

Something soft and sympathetic sparked in Oliver's eyes, and he nodded. "Of course. Say 'hi' for me."

"Will do." With those last words, Bree exited the sleeping quarters.

She walked down the hall sluggishly, the heels of her boots clicking against the stone floor. When Bree reached the correct door, she stopped and took a deep breath– much like Oliver had. She opened the door slowly, as not to disturb the person inside. The middle Davenport entered, and her pupils dilated to compensate for the dim lighting. Bree didn't pay it any mind. Inside, she looked over to the hospital bed. Laying there was the youngest Davenport. _Chase._

His eyes were closed, and Bree briefly wondered if he was asleep. However, she saw his eyelids begin to open after a few seconds. Chase's delicate hazel eyes revealed themselves, and the bionic boy smiled when he caught sight of his sister. Bree smiled, too. She really grew to miss seeing him every day. Part of her just wanted to curl up next to him and stay there forever.

Motion in the corner of the room drew Bree's attention away from the bed. Kaz shifted in his chair, looking up from the book he was studying. He discreetly waved at his teammate; she reciprocated.

Bree then approached her brother's bedside and sat in a nearby chair. "Hey. I didn't wake you, did I?"

Chase shook his head. "I was only resting."

The bionic girl nodded. "Well, Oliver says 'hi.'"

Chase grinned, but there was something forlorn in his smile. "How's he holding up?"

"As well as any of us."

"What were you guys out there doing today?"

"Damage control. There really isn't much more we can do right now."

"Have you heard from Mr. Davenport?"

"I talked to him yesterday. The cryoblasters are taking longer to make than expected, so he's sending the reinforcements early. They'll help us fend off the shapeshifters until the tech arrives."

"When will the students be here?"

Bree sighed. "I don't know. He said most of them are scattered across the country handling other issues. Adam is supposed to be bringing a team down here within the next few days."

"What happens when the tech arrives?"

"Well, then we use the cryoblasters to disable the shapeshifters and bring them to more permanent holding cells. Mr. Davenport says he has a perfect spot in Facility Y to keep them."

Chase nodded. "Sounds like a pretty solid plan."

Bree grabbed a loose thread from Chase's blanket and began twirling it around her fingers. "It's only solid if it actually works."

The youngest Davenport frowned, his expression sad. Bree didn't seem to notice. After a few silent minutes, he asked, "How's Douglas?"

Bree looked at her brother, slightly amused and slightly irritated. "You're just full of questions today, aren't you?"

"Hey, you try being cooped up in a hospital bed all day with no idea what's going on. _I_ used to be the one calling the shots." _It isn't easy being at the mercy of other people._ He didn't say it aloud, but Bree heard it anyway.

"Okay, that's fair. I'm sorry. I know it can't be easy."

Chase shrugged. "No, it's fine. I'm fine." _Liar._ Bree let it slide, though. She'd told that lie a few times, too.

"Okay, well… oh, yeah – Douglas. Uh, last time I talked to the hospital, he was stable but still unresponsive. They said they can't be sure 'till he wakes up, but, uh, blindness is a possibility." Bree spoke slowly, pronouncing each word with precision. It was just better to keep the emotion at bay.

"Oh." Chase broke eye contact, choosing instead to stare at the wall. _Don't ask questions if you don't want to hear the answers._ He couldn't help the speck of guilt that rose in his chest. If only he'd been smarter about Reese…

Bree grabbed her brother's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Don't worry about this too much, Chase. You have enough to deal with as it is. Just trust me enough to let me handle it."

"I'll always trust you, Bree," he said, finally looking up at her, "But I still want to do my part to help."

"You already did, Chase. You went above and beyond." Bree ran her other hand through her brother's spiky hair, and he smiled. "So, how do you feel today?" she asked, abruptly changing the subject.

Chase noticed, but he didn't comment on it. Instead, he shrugged and said, "No better than yesterday, but no worse."

Bree nodded solemnly. "Are you in any pain? You still sore?"

"No, I'm fine; I can't feel a thing-" He stopped short as his words registered, and Bree's expression rapidly changed to something unreadable. Chase frowned, giving his sister a regretful look. "I'm sorry, Bree, I- That was a bad choice of words…"

The middle bionic remained motionless for a second, but she quickly shook herself from the stupor. "No, no, it's okay, Chase. _You're_ the one who's paralyzed; _I_ shouldn't be the one acting all hypersensitive."

The room became extremely quiet after that. Back in the corner, Kaz stopped reading his book to glance remorsefully at the brother-sister pair. He'd been caring for Chase since the bionic suffered the injury. However, nothing he tried made his patient any better. Kaz may have been an excellent superhero doctor, but he fell short in the science of biotechnology. He was able to save superheroes because of his extensive comic book knowledge. Unfortunately, there was no Dummies guide on how to care for bionic superhumans. Even if he understood ordinary human medicine, it couldn't necessarily be applied to his teammate.

Chase's paralysis was something that he couldn't fix – or even truly understand. Kaz wasn't sure when, or even _if_ , Chase's injury would heal. Talking with Mr. Davenport provided him with some helpful tips, but the billionaire couldn't give a diagnosis over the phone. No one wanted to say it, but the youngest Davenport's condition was mostly helpless at this point.

Kaz closed his book, abruptly cutting off his thoughts. He decided it would be best to give the siblings some privacy. It would be easier to work in a quieter environment, and his teammates probably needed to talk without him there. Kaz didn't want to be a third wheel, after all.

"I, uh, think I'm gonna go check on Skylar now," Kaz said, getting up from his chair.

Bree looked startled for a brief second, like she'd forgotten Kaz was there. She recovered quickly, giving him a nod. "Okay." Bree almost wanted to say more, but she just didn't have the energy.

Kaz flashed the Davenport siblings a fleeting smile as he walked out. It was odd, really – the fact that the team smiled at each other so much in this dire time. Kaz had never put much thought into it himself. Perhaps it was done to keep up morale, or maybe to give reassurance and comfort. No one was quite sure.

The superhero had just made it out the door when he decided to say one more thing. Kaz spun around and leaned in the doorway. "Hey guys?" Bree and Chase looked over at him, expressions inquisitive. "I just, well… I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry there wasn't more I could do. You know, about Chase's injury…"

"Kaz, you don't need to apologize," Chase said. "You did a lot to help me."

Bree nodded in agreement. "You've had a lot of responsibility looking after Skylar and Chase. I know you did all you could. If this is about what I was saying earlier, I don't blame you, Kaz. If anything-" she looked back at her baby brother "-I'm more upset with myself."

Chase frowned, but he remained quiet.

"It's pretty easy for us to dump all the blame on ourselves when things go wrong, huh?" Kaz replied.

Bree chuckled. "Yeah, our team does that quite a bit. It's just a part of being a hero, I guess."

"Maybe we should work on that."

"Maybe we should."

Kaz tapped his fingers against the door. "Alright, well, I'll see you guys later. Take care." After Bree and Chase said their goodbye's, Kaz left.

The room reverted to its previous silence. Bree and Chase had been left in an awkward place, and neither was quite sure where to pick up. This was the first time that they had really talked about the incident. Maybe they had been afraid to speak on it in moments past. Or maybe they were trying to avoid the elephant in the room. It couldn't go ignored forever, though.

Realizing that, Chase finally broke the quiet. "Bree, a few minutes ago, you told me not to worry about things because I already have a lot to deal with. Well, that goes for you, too. You need to start taking your own advice. I don't want you to kill yourself worrying about me."

Bree sighed once again (something she seemed to be doing a lot today.) The brunette began rubbing her thumb over her brother's hand. "I'm your older sister, Chase. It's my job to worry about you – especially without Adam here."

"Bree, I am going to be fine. I _am_ fine. From the waist up, I can move and do everything I used to. We need to accept that this might just be my new reality."

The middle Davenport shook her head. "No. No, that's just it, Chase: I _can't_ accept it."

"Why not?"

"Because that electric shock was meant for me! And, for the life of me, Chase, I do not understand why you had to jump in front of me. How can you be so okay with being paralyzed? How can you just sit here all day and 'accept' that you're suffering from an injury someone else was supposed to have?"

"When that 'someone else' is family, I'll jump in front of _anything_ , Bree. I wasn't going to let Reese hurt you. You have done the same for me multiple times. What kind of a brother would I be if I didn't protect you? It goes both ways, you know."

Bree blinked slowly. She stared at her younger brother, searching his face for – well, she wasn't really sure. Hesitation, perhaps. Whatever Bree was looking for, all she found in Chase's eyes were love and sincerity. She wanted to say something, but, honestly, what was there to say?

"Besides, super speed is useless without working legs. Better I not be able to walk than you," he added, trying to lighten the mood. Bree did chuckle, so Chase considered himself successful.

"It's not like you don't rely on your legs, too."

"Yeah, but my strongest attribute has always been my smarts. I may not be able to walk, but at least I still have the use of my mind." Chase paused for a minute, and then a thought struck him. "By the way, what did you and Oliver do out in the city today?"

Bree's smile faltered. Chase had been right up until the last part. The use of his legs _wasn't_ the only thing he lost. She had yet to mention it to him, even after all this time. It was hard enough for Bree to accept it herself. Perhaps she shouldn't say anything about it – for the sake of Chase's own peace of mind. It was too late for her, but he had the option to remain blissfully ignorant. Far be for Bree to take that away.

After a brief moment, she forced the smile back. "Nothing out of the ordinary. I'll tell you about it later. Right now, you should rest." She gave Chase's hand one last squeeze before standing up.

Chase gripped her hand tightly, keeping her from going any farther. "No, wait, Bree. Can you stay with me, at least until you have to go back out? I mean, you're not around much anymore, so I just…"

Bree looked deep into Chase's hazel eyes, and in that minute, she didn't see a former mission leader. She didn't see the smartest man alive. She didn't see a cocky bionic superhuman. She saw her baby brother. He was pleading; he was endearing; and, at the base of it all, he was scared. Bree was scared, too.

The brunette smiled sadly. "Sure, Chase. That sounds nice."

She gently pushed Chase to the other side of the bed. Then Bree hopped in next to him, careful to avoid his wires and tubes. Chase rested his head on her shoulder and let out a satisfied sigh. Bree sealed the deal by wrapping her arm around his back. She relished in this feeling, in being able to hold her little brother close. In all honesty, it was never easy for Bree to stay with Chase like this. She loved being with him, but that was exactly the problem. Sooner or later, Bree knew she would have to leave again. With every quiet breath, with every warm embrace, it got harder and harder for her to return to the city.

But she had to leave. She had to keep going, to keep fighting. If for no other reason, she needed to remember that she was doing this for Chase. So, Bree would go. She would slip her arm away from him after he fell sleep. She would slowly step off the bed as not to awaken him. She would softly kiss his forehead, a promise to him that she _would_ return. She would walk out of the room as quiet as a cloud, sparing one last glance at his sleeping form.

And most importantly, she would try not to think about him waking up hours later… only to find that she was gone.

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 **Okay, you guys know the drill. Leave me a review and tell me what you thought! Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend :)**


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